The Trial Run
by helterskelter3310
Summary: The castaways wake up from participating in a trial run of a virtual reality drug to find that it wasn't exactly what it was marketed to be. After being changed on the island, which was a hallucinogenic result of the drug, they start to change in the real world. Can they survive their new life or will an external force get to them before they can learn to adapt?
1. Chapter 1 - Shannon

_Bang_. Shannon felt the pain before she even registered the shot. The burning sensation and the rapid spreading warmth on her abdomen were all she could focus on. She stumbled through the trees and fell into something soft. The greenery blurred together and something dark came into her view. She focused as much of her effort as she could on the dark shape. Sayid. It was Sayid. She felt cold and then darkness crept into her vision and Sayid was gone. She could feel her body shutting down. Her lungs stayed still, her heart beat it's last beat, she could feel the light pulse of her blood slowly stopping circulation.

Then her eyes shot open and she gasped for air. No matter how she gasped she felt as though she still couldn't get enough oxygen. Her lungs burned, the bright light in the room blinded her causing her eyes to water.

"Welcome back to the world, Shannon Rutherford."

Her eyes were starting to adjust. She could see a dark shadow hovering to her left. More details started to come to her notice now that she could breathe again. There was a soft beeping noise behind her. She could hear more people walking about in the room. As her eyes continued adjusting she could see them walking around beds that had people strapped in on them. It was then that it dawned on her that she too was strapped in. She struggled against it but the wide white strap across her arms and and stomach kept her down. Her ankles were bound too as she discovered when she tried to kick her feet.

"Hold on now Missy we just need to check your vitals before we release you."

"Where am I?" She tried to demand but her throat was dry and it came out as an unattractive croak.

"You are in the Loup Labs testing room B."

"What?" She was just on the island. She was just shot! She lifted her head to look towards where her wound had been to find nothing. Her body was just as she remembered. Slim and sexy and no bullet wound. She was wearing the outfit she'd been wearing on the plane.

"You and your brother volunteered for our trial program." Boone! He knew about Boone. "The two of you came in here two days ago, remember?"

"If I say yes will you untie me?" Shannon spat. The man, who judging by the white coat was a doctor of some sort, sighed and sat down on a stool next to her.

"No need for the attitude. Your confusion is perfectly normal. You're strapped in for your own safety." As he spoke Shannon stopped struggling with a huff.

"Much better. Now as I was saying you and your brother," he flipped a piece of paper on his clipboard. "Boone, answered our ad for testers for our new virtual reality pill."

"We did?"

"He said something about you needing the cash."

Shannon tried to remember this. She thought of Boone, his face bloodied and his body covered by a blanket. She thought of him yelling at her on the beach. _You're useless Shannon! _Screaming for him after the on the plane when he handed her the inhaler and arguing at the cafe in the airport. But then it changed and he was talking to her outside a large white building.

"Do you remember it now?"

Shannon nodded, still a little dazed. She could remember Boone dragging her in the building. How it smelled like a hospital and how rude that receptionist had been to her. She looked back up at the doctor. He was checking his charts again.

"So...none of it was real?" He started undoing the straps that held her to the bed. She rubbed her upper arms where the straps had made them tender. He held a flashlight and waved it in front of her eyes.

"All you need to know is that what you felt was real."

Even more confused Shannon looked around the room, earlier she noticed the other people but not much more. Kate, Sun, some blonde women she vaguely recognized, a still very pregnant Claire, and Rose also lay in beds in a circle formation. A few other doctors were buzzing around checking on them.

For once in her life Shannon was speechless. A nurse brought her a bottle of water and then she was left alone to collect her thoughts. Her arm started to itch without even thinking about it she started to scratch at it. The instant her nails dragged across her skin it burned with an unexpected pain that caused her to swear out loud.

She looked down to see the source of the pain to find the crook of her elbow broken out in a rash. Red, painful bumps covered about two inches of skin in a were now two red lines running across it where her nails had touched it. She looked at her other arm to see if the rash was from the straps but the other arm looked clean. She gently touched the edge of the rash even though it burned and from where she touched it the veins in her arms started showing under her skin as though her touch had sent ripples of dark ink through them.

Horrified, she moved her hand away and the veins disappeared again. Her curiosity overpowered her fear and this time she touched the center of the rash. The burning was much worse and this time the darkness in her veins seemed to shoot out. Whatever it was caused them to bulge out as she watched the dark run down to her hand and she could feel the burning spread to her hand and up her shoulder and towards her neck.

A wave of panic hit her and she couldn't breathe. Her arm locked up and in her panic she failed it about trying to get it to work again. As she swung it around she knocked over a tray of scalpels. A nurse came by and pushed her back down on the bed. The burning spread through her entire right side and she could feel it crawl up her neck and onto her face. She could hear yelling over her own desperate breaths. Then the world tipped to one side and went black.


	2. Chapter 2 - Shannon

_The plane started to shake. Boone turned to face her and smile reassuringly. Then it really shook and jerked around. Luggage fell from the racks, people screamed and the oxygen masks came down. Shannon and Boone both scrambled for masks. There was a tremendous noise from somewhere behind them as the plane spun and a forceful whoosh of air whipped Shannon's hair into her eyes. She could just barely see Boone through her blonde locks as he desperately grasped his mask. His bright blue eyes wide with fear._

Shannon woke with a start. She was laying in a bed again but in a different room than before. This room was brightly lit and the walls were white with pictures framed along the walls. She looked at her arm where the rash had been only to find it perfectly smooth. No rash or even any redness to be seen. She poked at it and nothing happened. _It had to be a dream _she told herself. But where did the dream end? Was it just the rash? Was is that whole room? Was it just the island? Shannon's head was spinning.

"Shannon!"

Boone was sitting in a metal folding chair next to her. He reached out and grabbed her hand. Before he could get the chance to say anything Shannon pulled him in closer and wrapped her arms around him, tears of joy already forming in her eyes.

"You were dead!" She choked out.

"Yeah, but it wasn't real." He pulled away from her and grabbed her shoulders. He looked into her eyes with a serious expression.

"Are you okay?" Shannon felt as though he was trying to bore into her mind with those blue eyes.

"Of course. Just peachy." No need to mention the disappearing rash.

He didn't seem too convinced but he let go of her and slid back into his chair.

"They said we're okay to leave if we want but they said not to do any major traveling for a few days in case of bad reactions to the drug."

Shannon looked down at her arm. It still looked normal. Should she tell him about it? No, he'd freak out and she wanted to get out of this place before they strapped her down again.

Boone helped her out of bed. She stumbled a little but he caught her and smiled. They walked past a row of empty beds. These ones were strapless and much nicer than the one she'd been on earlier. In fact they seemed to be in almost a different building entirely.

"Back from the dead, eh?." A voice came from the bed she'd just walked by. Charlie lay on his side and smiled up at her. He looked like he'd been through hell but she still smiled at him. A friendly face was always good. Boone grabbed her hand and led her out into a brightly lit hallway. The hallway led out into the main entrance where the rude receptionist was currently arguing with a hispanic looking woman. More people were milling around. Some of them were from the island and others were doctors and nurses. A big black man Shannon had never met was sitting in a chair near the door with his head down and was muttering under his breath.

"We just need to check out with the receptionist and then we can leave." Boone walked over to stand in the line that formed behind the woman.

A couple was arguing in the corner of the room and Shannon thought she heard them say something about spiders and diamonds. She wandered further into the room. There were a lot of people she knew by sight but had no idea what their names were. They waved at her and she just nodded and crossed her arms. A stoic looking blonde with startling blue eyes leaned against the wall by a fake potted plant. Like Shannon she was just watching everyone else wandering around. She caught Shannon's gaze and Shannon immediately glared at her then turned away as if she had something better to be looking at.

The woman who had been arguing with the receptionist stomped off in anger but she stopped when she saw Shannon. Her face had been screwed up with rage now held a touch of sadness.

"I'm sorry" She mumbled to Shannon before bolting out of the door.

Shannon just shrugged it off but the man who had been muttering to himself spoke up.

"She was the one who shot you." Shannon's head snapped in his direction. He was still looking at the ground but he was definitely speaking to her.

"What?"

"Ana Lucia was the one who shot you on the island. She thought you were an other." He stated gravely.

"That bitch."

"It was an accident."

"Accident my ass! She killed me!"

"She thought another one of the others was going to kill us and if I had not stopped him your boyfriend Sayid probably would have killed her too."

Shannon's reply was cut off when the man mentioned Sayid. It was the first time she'd heard his name since the island and instantly his face swam before her eyes. Her memories of him came up so suddenly it took her breath away. She could see him chasing after her in the jungle rain soaking both of them. She could practically feel his hand on her face. He'd always been so gentle with her.

When she didn't reply, the man looked up at her but she ignored him and immediately her eyes scanned back over the room. The blonde was still there but now a teenage girl with dark hair was talking to her. Sun and Jin entered the room from the hallway, he had his arm wrapped around her waist and both looked dazed and worn out but happy.

Boone was at the counter now and she could see the arguing couple were in line behind him. She moved around to get a better look but that didn't change the fact that the one person she wanted to see more than anything else wasn't there. For all she knew he could've left already.

When that thought crossed her mind her shoulders slumped and she stopped looking so hard. She flopped down into an armchair that was against the wall. She put her elbows on her knees and held her chin in her palms while she waited for Boone to return. Her thoughts strayed to Sayid again. How he'd built that little shelter for her, and of course what they'd done in it. A small smile crossed her face. He'd been much better than any other guy she'd been with. Then she thought of how he'd tried to help her with Boone's death and the beach date they went on. Then she remembered how they'd fought. She'd spent their last day together just arguing with him. What if she never got the chance to make it up to him?

"You ready?" Boone was standing in front of her with his phone in hand. Shannon just nodded. As they reached the door she looked at the man who'd spoken to her. He looked up at her and for a split second Shannon was sure he'd seen straight through her. It gave her chills but she just shook it off and followed her step-brother outside.

The sunlight blinded her instantly and she held up a manicured hand to block it. Boone handed her a pair of sunglasses.

"I figured we'd stay at a hotel for a few days and then go back to the states."

"We're still in Australia?"

"Where'd you think we were?" They'd reached Boone's rental car and he was squinting over the roof at her with a look of disbelief.

"I dunno Boone, we just went on a bad trip or something? Or did perfect Boone Carlyle know the plane crash was fake the whole time?! Because it sure felt real to me!"

"You're already yelling at me. Great. Just get in the car Shannon."

Shannon scowled at him but yanked open the car door nonetheless. Both of them sat there in angry silence. Boone started up the car and cranked up the AC.

"I figured you'd be a little nicer to me since I died in there."

"It wasn't real Boone."

Boone sighed and started driving. "If you believed that then you would've known we were still in Australia."

"Are you really gonna bring that up again?!"

"How much do you even remember? Do you remember Brian? Do you remember pretending he was beating you so you could steal money from me?" Boone was starting to work himself up to yelling. "Do you remember fucking me just because you were drunk?!"

"Yes!" Shannon yelled just to get him to shut up. She glared at him. "I remember all that! I'm just confused!"

"About what?! We took a drug that made us think we were on a wacky island. Nothing that happened on there was real Shannon." He was starting to simmer back down but she wasn't.

"But it felt real!" She pleaded with, pleaded for him to understand. She needed it to be real. She needed those people to be real, especially the one that made her feel more the useless.

"It wasn't. Not the plane crash. Not the monster thing, not the polar bear, not the hatch or hunting with Locke. Not even your precious little fling with Sayid."

"It wasn't a fling." Shannon stated with a huff.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yep."

"Right." Boone said as he pulled the car into a parking spot outside a nice looking hotel. "Bags are still in the trunk. Just in case you're confused again." He snapped.

Shannon was already mad but that confused comment just set her off. Boone was already halfway to the front door so she just kicked at the side of his rental car. With a crunch her kick left a large dent a few inches deep in the back door of the car.

"Shit!" She turned but Boone was already inside and missed her moment of hulk-like strength. Shannon's anger still didn't abide and she yanked her bags out of the trunk and slammed it down leaving finger shaped indentations in the metal.

"Fuck me." She stomped off with her bags towards the front door of the hotel.


	3. Chapter 3 - Shannon

Shannon sat on the edge of her hotel bed with her head in her hands. It was a nice hotel, very upscale, very Boone and very Shannon. But now it made her sick. The first thing she'd done when she got there had been to close all the blinds. She didn't even notice that her room had a marvelous view of the city 10 floors below her. The lights stayed turned off so that it was dark in the room but no so dark that she couldn't see anymore. Not that it mattered. After she sat down on the bed she hadn't moved. Her eyes were closed and she ran her hands through her hair for what felt like the hundredth time. Her head was pounding and felt like her skull might explode. She felt cold but at the same time she could feel the sweat on the back of her neck. She pressed her palms against her eyes a frustrated growl escaping her lips.

She saw flashes before her eyes. _A sandy beach. A large airport. The cave where Boone died. John Locke in a blood covered shirt. Sayid pleading with her not to shoot. Walt._

Shannon's eyes snapped open. The hotel room was back. She could see her reflection in a mirror on the wall directly opposite of her. She looked tired and pale but other than that her reflection barely showed the distress she felt on the inside. She looked like the same girl that had slept with her step-brother for his money. The same girl that had tried to get a guy she'd knew nothing about arrested at the airport. The girl who'd lost her father much too young. She didn't feel like that girl but she was. Wasn't she? _The spoiled little brat._

She'd technically never left Australia so really she was still the same Shannon. She'd never translated a french distress call. She'd never fallen in love. Never sought out vengeance for Boone's death. She'd never snuck into a tent to steal a key to a gun case. She was alive and most certainly not dead on an island.

She stood up and walked over to the mirror. She really was the same. But then a voice came floating up from the back of her mind and in that instant she hated herself.

_Useless Shannon._

The thought pissed her off and she grabbed the mirror off the wall and threw it into the nearest wall. Thousands of tiny shards fell to the floor. The wall was close enough that many of them bounced back and hit her.

_Useless_

Shannon felt dizzy and stumbled into the same wall the mirror had smashed against. She slid down it until she hit the floor with her back still up against the wall. The pounding in her head increased.

_"You're useless Shannon!"_

A wave of nausea hit her and she lay down on the floor. She dry heaved a few times before pulling her knees up to her chest, trying her hardest not to throw up. She was shaking and sweating but she couldn't pull herself up even if she wanted to. A dull ache throbbed through her entire body.

Her eyes were watering but through the tears and the darkness of the room she saw a small brief bit of light. Then someone was walking towards her. She felt the vibrations on the floor send ripples of pain through her body and causing her head to hurt even worse. Each step seemed like an elephant was walking across the room.

She felt her body being picked up in strong arms and she had a sense of deja vu so strong she could practically feel the rain on her skin and hear Sayid's pleading and then she blacked out again.

She woke up hours later. The room was lighter than she remembered and then realized it was because the lamp on the bedside table was on. The blinds on the windows were open as were the curtains that had covered the sliding glass door to the balcony revealing the dark night sky. One of the doors was open and a dark haired woman sat in a metal chair with her feet up on the balcony railing. Shannon started to freak out, not knowing who the woman was and then she looked a little further to the right. Leaning against the wall next to those doors was someone very familiar and the sight comforted her a great deal.

"Sayid." Her voice was raspy.

His head snapped in her direction and in a few strides he was sitting on the side of the bed next to her. Shannon heard a thud as the woman's feet hit the ground. Sayid gently put his hand on her cheek. She looked up into those warm, concerned eyes that she thought she'd never see again. It felt so familiar it made her heart ache. But that nagging voice from the back of her mind reminded her that those memories weren't real. That voice was starting to sound a lot like Boone.

"Are you alright?" He asked softly. Shannon smiled. She couldn't help it.

"Yeah." She answered just as softly. She wanted nothing more than to just be wrapped up in his arms. Then another voice spoke up from behind him.

"Jack texted. He said Boone was pretty bad when they got there too." Another familiar voice.

Kate Austen stepped around so that Shannon could see her better. She still had a small black phone in her hand. Kate's presence was a comfort too, not as much as Sayid's but Shannon was definitely glad to see her. She felt more normal with them around.

"I'm going to go see how Boone's doing." Kate said to Sayid with a smirk. He rolled his eyes at her. Sayid waited until Kate left and then pulled down the covers and laid down next to Shannon. She immediately wrapped an arm around his waist and he put one around her shoulder and pulled her into him. They stayed like that for several minutes, just relishing in each other's presence. Shannon loved having him close. It felt like they'd been separated for ages.

"I didn't think I'd ever see you again." He said softly. His fingers gently started playing with her hair. She didn't say anything just looked up into his ever so serious eyes. This time it was her that put a hand on his face. He covered her hand with his own then moved it away so he could kiss her knuckles.

"Boone said it wasn't real." She had to ask. She had to know. "But, it felt so real-"

"It was real." Sayid interrupted. "It was all in our heads, but that doesn't mean it wasn't real. I feel in love with you and I still feel that way. Do you still feel the same as you did on the island?"

She nodded.

"Then it was real. It just wasn't physically real." She was still trying to work it out but she trusted Sayid. He was smart, much smarter than her she'd willingly admit and he was so confident in his answer it would've been hard to not believe him. She set her head back against his chest and even though she'd slept through most of the last few days she fell asleep again in only a few minutes.


	4. Chapter 4 - Shannon

Shannon opened her eyes to a tarp canopy. It crinkled in the wind but stayed secured to the branches it was held up with. She turned her head to see a beautiful ocean and beach. Her heart sank. No matter how beautiful this island was it was a trap to her, one she'd never get out of. She sat up and wrapped her arms around her knees. She'd been so sure she'd gotten out. Gotten away. She could hear people moving around on the other side of her makeshift tent. Muffled voices. She just sat there and stared out at the water until the voices started to become more clear.

"What makes you think I know what's going on?" A woman asked.

"Aren't you a doctor?" This time a man, with a scottish accent.

"I'm a fertility doctor, not a pharmacist."

"What about Daniel?" Shannon's ears perked up when she heard Sayid's voice.

"Jack already asked him. He doesn't know anymore than we do. In fact, he's not even experiencing what we have."

"Shannon." She heard someone whisper her name, not from the direction of the other voices but from towards the ocean. She rose up out of her tent, brushing the sand off her knees and started towards the water.

"Shannon." A little louder this time and it was definitely coming from the water. She reached the edge of the beach where the waves splashed her feet. A large dark shape floated towards her. It was a person. She waded out into the water until it was up to her waist and grabbed the person under their arms. It was then that she realized who it was.

"Boone!" She shouted and slightly shook him, trying to get him to wake. Blood spread out into the water from wounds on his chest and face. His eyes stayed closed, not even a flicker of movement.

"Boone!" She gave his face a small slap, trying desperately to wake him up as tears filled her eyes.

As she dragged him closer to the shore she could see another person in the water. Charlie lay face up, unconscious in the water. His hoodie fanned out around him like a cape and one of his shoes was missing.

Another, a woman with dirty blonde hair had washed up on the beach. A man with dark hair and bronzed skin was floating not too far away from the woman. Shannon turned to her other side to see even more bodies in the water. She couldn't fool herself into thinking there was even a possibility that they were alive.

Shannon stood there in the waist high water still clinging to Boone's body when she saw Sayid's a few feet away. Her stomach dropped, as awful as she had felt a few seconds prior it was now so much worse. Still holding onto Boone, she struggled against the tide to get to Sayid. Boone seemed to get heavier and heavier the further she went. Sayid was already floating away from her, further out to sea.

She was now out far enough that she had to really swim to keep afloat and the waves were slamming into her face, obscuring her vision. Sayid was just out of her reach. She swam so far out trying to get to him that she could no longer even see the shore. The extra weight from Boone's body was wearing on her and she was having trouble keeping above the water. A large wave hit her hard and his arm slipped from her grasp.

"No!" She cried and took a big gulp of air before plunging down into the water. It was crystal clear below the surface and she could see more people were sinking down to the bottom. Sun and Jin were only a few feet away. Someone who looked like Locke was already at the bottom of the shallower waters. Boone had sunk a good 30 feet down already.

Shannon kicked her feet hard and used every bit of strength she had to push herself down to him. The water darkened quickly. She bumped into someone and was startled to see it was a very beat up looking Jack. Seeing him like that spooked her. But she had to get to Boone. She could see a hand sticking up and she grabbed it and pulled. It wasn't Boone. It was that blonde woman she thought she'd seen in that dream. The one with the startling blue eyes. disappointment flooded Shannon's body. Then the woman's eyes shot open.

Shannon's eyes opened as she gasped for air. She was laying in a bed. She didn't know where she was for a few seconds before her brain got back in gear. It had been a dream. The sheets were soaked with sweat and Shannon felt shaky and weak.

"Shannon?" It was the same blonde woman from her dream, whichever one really was the dream.

"Yeah? Who are you?" She tried to put her "bitch face" back on but the dream had been so vivid and so real it was disorienting.

"My name's Juliet." She paused. "You don't look so good." She said as she stretched an arm across and put her hand on Shannon's forehead. Shannon shook it off.

"I'm fine. Where's Sayid?" She tried to get out of bed but Juliet pushed her back down. There was an intensity to her gaze that kept Shannon from trying again.

"He's with Jack and Desmond."

Shannon let out a sigh of relief. "What about my brother?"

"He's in his room. I think Kate's looking after him. We've all been taking turns on you guys." She smiled softly and then added "I don't think Sayid has slept since the lab released us."

Satisfied that Shannon wasn't going to try to get up again Juliet leaned back in her chair that was situated by the bed. She grabbed a book up off the floor. _Needful Things_ by Stephen King. Shannon averted her eyes and started just looking around the room but every so often she'd sneak a peek at Juliet whose focus seemed to be solely on her book. Shannon was determined not to talk to her, but after a few minutes her curiosity got the better of her.

"Were you on the plane?"

"Um, no. No, I wasn't." Shannon let that sink in a bit.

"So, you're one of Them. An Other."

Juliet put her book down. A sad look overtook her face.

"Yes." Shannon tried to gracefully slide to the other side of the bed but since she was tangled up in the slightly damp sheets she ended up flailing around.

"I swear I'm not going to hurt you. It wasn't like that with me." Juliet didn't leave her chair but once again that same intensity swept over her eyes and it was like Shannon couldn't not believe her. There was something to the look in her eyes that both frightened and comforted Shannon. It was a controlling look but not an overpowering one. But if Shannon was sure of anything it was that she was not in control of anything that happened in this room but Juliet sure was.


	5. Chapter 5 - Kate

Kate was sitting in an armchair with her feet propped up on the other chair in the room. She had been in Boone's room for over an hour now and he had barely even moved. In fact he was so still that she had to check for a pulse a few times. He'd been unconscious the whole time they'd been there. They all agreed that they wouldn't leave until both him and Shannon were up and walking around again.

But then what? Every time they tried to separate from each other they got sick. Claire had almost passed out. Desmond said it was the worst stomach pain he'd ever felt. Her head had hurt so bad she thought her brain would explode in her skull. But as soon as someone else touched them they started to feel better. It worked even better when there were more of their people nearby. It was like something was keeping them all together.

Claire's incident scared the hell out of Kate. She'd always felt protective of Claire but now it was ten fold. She'd been in the parking lot at the same time as Kate. Kate was about 50 feet behind her when she saw Claire start to stumble. She fell into the side of a car and Kate ran to her. Kate got there faster than she thought she would. Much faster. It felt like she was there in a second, but that couldn't be right. Kate had been very grateful that Claire wasn't pregnant. Which had been just one other confusing thing that had happened since they were released from the trials.

Why wasn't Claire pregnant? Why was Kate suddenly faster than humanly possible? Why was everyone getting sick? Kate was getting migraine just trying to fit the pieces together.

She looked at Boone again. He looked so pale. His bangs were stuck to his forehead with sweat. She felt bizarrely protective of Boone too. When they'd first got here Juliet and Jack had both stayed with him, while Kate and Sayid stayed with Shannon. The biggest difference was Shannon was getting better while Boone was staying the same.

Then Kate felt something strange. So many strange things were happening to her and around her but this one felt different. She felt like there was somewhere she needed to go, someone needed her. She didn't really know who but someone was in danger. She could feel it in her gut. Someone needed help.

She quietly walked over pulled open the door to the room and without hesitation stepped out into the hall. Her body seemed to know where it was going as it turned to her left. She felt panic, but it wasn't her own. It was like a compartment in her brain had opened up and was receiving someone else's emotions. She heard another door open behind her but she'd gotten to the room she needed to be in. Without knocking she flung the door open.

The sight that greeted her made her blood run cold. The panic setting in was now her own. For a brief instant she thought about turning around and running. It'd be easier. But that was an old reaction and she couldn't even if she did really want to. Someone else was behind her and she could tell they were scared as well.

Ethan Rom was standing in the middle of the room, a smirk on his face and a gun in his hand. The barrel of the gun was pressed up against Claire's head, right between her eyes. She was kneeling on the floor but by the bloody scratches on his arms and face she'd put up quite the fight before giving in.

Ethan looked up at the arrivals, his smile widened but there was something off about it. It made Kate's skin crawl. Though not nearly as much as his eyes did. His eyes were all black. No pupil, no iris, just black.

"Kate, Juliet, how nice of you to stop by." So it was Juliet who'd followed her. Ethan seemed almost giddy now. Kate had never seen someone be so happy and so sinister at the same time.

"Three birds, one stone. He'll be impressed." Ethan's attention was focused on Claire again.

"Wait!" Kate stepped forward and Ethan's head snapped up and in that split second he went from happy to furious. Once again Kate felt that brief impulse to run. This was dangerous. So very, very dangerous. If Ethan was still the Ethan from the island she would've rushed him. Three against one would be no problem. But this wasn't that Ethan. She wasn't even sure he was even human.

He noticed her hesitation and swung his gun around to point at her. He too moved much too fast but something else moved when his arm did. Claire lunged at him from the floor and tackled him into the wall.

She smashed him into the wall hard enough that it cracked and he dropped the gun. Particles of paint and dust fell from the ceiling. Kate immediately took off towards him to help Claire. Out of the corner of her eye she could she Juliet doing the same. Ethan shoved Claire into Kate as she reached for the gun. The impact sent both of them hard into the floor. Juliet missed their collision by an inch. Ethan reached for his gun but Juliet grabbed him around the waist and flung him across the room and into the sliding glass doors that led to the balcony. The glass shattered around him and he stumbled back. Juliet used that stumble as an opportunity and kicked him in the gut and he fell back over the railing.

Kate just reached the balcony as he fell and Claire was there right behind her. All three of them leaned over the railing. Ethan had vanished. Kate leaned over further, both Juliet and Claire grabbed the back of her shirt, but even then she could see no sign of Ethan. She'd expected to see a body and a pool of blood but there was nothing. The people on the street just walked by as if nothing had happened.

Footsteps thundered behind them and they turned to see Jack, Charlie, Sayid and Sawyer run into the room. The four guys all looked a mix of confused and worried. Claire stepped back into the room and Charlie rushed forward. Jack also stepped over to her and immediately checked the cuts on her head. She shrugged him off and insisted that she was fine.

Sayid and Sawyer carefully stepped around the broken glass out onto the balcony. Sawyer stood by Juliet but Sayid went straight up to Kate.

"What happened?" Jack's head tilted towards them but his eyes were still focused on Claire.

"Ethan." Kate said sourly. "He, uh, he had a gun to Claire's head. We came in, we fought him off and he fell off the balcony."

"And then disappeared." Juliet added as she crossed her arms.

"Disappeared?" Sayid questioned, disbelief echoed in his voice. Jack stopped pretending to check on Claire and stared at the group on the balcony. Sawyer leaned over the edge to look for himself.

"I don't know, I mean, he fell. We all saw it." Kate gestured to the ground below. Sayid tapped his fingers against the railing. All four of them gazed down below, without speaking.

"We should go look for him." Jack interrupted their moment. He looked so determined that Kate didn't even bother to tell him it wouldn't do any good. There was an undeniable blaze in his eyes. That relentlessness that he'd shown on the island was there in full force. Sayid and Charlie followed Jack out the door without hesitation. Sawyer hung back a bit.

"You comin'?" He asked Juliet and Kate. His eyes going back and forth between the two women. Kate was about to say yes when she caught sight of Claire. She was picking at the sleeve of her shirt and was staring off into space.

"Not this time." Sawyer's eyebrows shot up.

"I'll be damned. You sick, freckles?"

"I'm staying too." Juliet intervened before Kate could think of a good excuse. She trusted Sawyer but she didn't really want to tell him she wanted to stay for Claire.

He looked at Juliet the same way he had Kate then shook his head.

"Alrighty then." He looked at Kate again, as if waiting for her to change her mind.

"Sawyer!" Jack's voice rang through the air from the hallway.

"I'm comin!" Sawyer yelled back with a scowl as he left the room.

Kate and Juliet shared a look and were in silent agreement. No one messed with their people and right now Claire needed them.


	6. Chapter 6 - Jack

Jack ran to the elevator with Sayid and Charlie flanking him only a few inches behind. He slammed his fingers into the down button outside the elevator. The damned thing was too slow. Ethan was getting away. He slammed the button again. The dial up above said it was making it's way up to them but they were almost on the top floor.

He spun his head around. Where the hell was Sawyer?

"Sawyer!" He shouted. They weren't going to wait for him if he didn't show up before the elevator.

"I'm comin!" The irritated response called back.

The elevator dinged and the three men stepped into the elevator and Sawyer ran to catch up and slide through the doors just as they were about to close.

"Coulda fucking waited for me."

Jack grinded his teeth. No he wouldn't wait. Every second they wasted waiting on him was a second Ethan gained on them. He had to be down there somewhere. Maybe the drug trial had upped his physical capabilities. It seemed to have done something to everyone else, why not Ethan?

Charlie cracked his neck. Jack could just see the tips of his fingers under the hoodie tapping against his leg. The energy rolled off Charlie in waves. Anxiety. Worry. Concern. Excitement. All of that energy just seemed to be exploding just under the surface. Not just in Charlie but in Jack as well. It was there in the other two but not nearly as potent.

The doors opened to the expansive lobby. The marble floors gleamed in the sunlight that streamed in from the large glass windows. The receptionist didn't even look up from her computer as the four men practically ran out of the elevator. If she had she would've noticed how odd they moved. How fluid and graceful and bizarre seeming their strides were.

Jack burst out the front doors into the busy sidewalk. Without pausing he strode off to his left, glancing up every few feet, looking for the balcony to the Claire's room. Sayid pointed to one a little further down.

"That one." He said. Jack ran forward so that he was right underneath it. He stood there and closed his eyes, trying to picture the events. Juliet kicked him, he toppled over the rail and fell. He had to have hit the ground on his feet. Right where Jack was standing. Then what? Jack inhaled deeply. He could smell something. It was faint but it was there. He couldn't put his finger on what it was but it wasn't normal. It had to be Ethan. He inhaled again and opened his eyes slowly.

"Whoa." Charlie whispered.

"What?" Sawyer demanded quietly as if he knew not to disturb Jack.

"Did you see his bloody eyes? They turned a yellowy color!" Charlie whispered excitedly.

"What?!"

"This way." Jack said as he took off further down the street. They passed dozens of shoppers. A few street vendors and five large stores before Jack stopped again. He repeated his earlier process. This time Sayid followed suit. Both of them snapped their heads to the right at the same time. Jack could feel the adrenaline pumping through his veins as they closed in on their prey. The thrill of the hunt had him in it's grip now.

Jack ran across the street dodging traffic and crossed into an alley. The scent was stronger now. It started to remind him of burnt flesh but it was definitely getting stronger. The alley connected to a side street and then he veered to the right. They ran along until it abruptly stopped. When he lost the trail Jack stopped immediately and started searching for any signs of a trail. The other three stopped with him. Sayid was already sniffing around.

"Up the fire escape!" He exclaimed once he caught the scent again. Charlie jumped up and grabbed the bottom of the ladder and pulled it down. The impressive height he reached went unnoticed by the others as they scaled up the ladder and then the metal stairs connected to a red brick building. Charlie was in the lead as they climbed five floors worth of metal stairs and he reached the reached the roof of the building first. Jack was so certain they'd find Ethan hiding up here. But when they reached the roof it was empty.

Jack ran out to the middle of the roof. Inhaling almost desperately. He ran to the far side of the roof. Nothing. He spun around to face the others. Not a damn thing. No trail, no scent, no Ethan.

Jack curled his fists into balls. He lost him. Claire wouldn't be safe until Ethan was gone for good. If something did happen now it would be on him. He failed to find Ethan. He'd failed his sister. Jack kicked at the vent that was projecting from the corner of the roof. He left a substantial dent in it but it made him feel a little better. He clasped his hands together on top of his head.

"Damn it." He sighed, trying to calm down. He was disappointed in himself. _You just don't have what it takes._

"Well now what?" Sawyer asked.

"We go back, tell them we lost him." Jack said defeatedly. His anger was turning to worry now.

"What if he tries it again?!" Charlie turned to Jack.

Jack shook his head and shrugged, he didn't have a good answer for Charlie.

"What if he kills her this time!" Charlie stepped closer and got in Jack's face. "What then?!"

"I won't let that happen." Jack tried to reassure the furious younger man.

"Oh right, like you didn't let anything happen on the island. How many people died on your watch, Jack?" Jack punched him in the face. The force and surprise knocked Charlie to the ground. The layer of dirt puffed up around him in a small cloud as he hit the ground.

Sayid and Sawyer waited, both were ready to jump in if it got bad.

Charlie put his hand up to his lips and his fingers came away bloody. Jack loomed over him waiting to see what he would do next. Charlie just looked down. Jack put him in place and he was well aware. He held out a hand, Charlie looked at it doubtfully but then grasped it and let the other man help him up. Jack put a hand on his shoulder.

"I will do everything I can to make sure no one hurts my sister." Charlie's eyes widened at this but Jack only raised his eyebrows. Charlie nodded and Jack let go of his shoulder and started to towards the fire escape. Sayid and Sawyer were talking about something but he wasn't paying attention. His mind was already fast at work trying to come up with a plan that would keep Claire and everyone else safe.

There was one thing he kept coming back to. On the island Ethan had been part of a group. What if, like before, there was more than just one. What if he'd had help? What if it wasn't just Ethan?


	7. Chapter 7 - Kate

Kate heard it before she saw it. Even through the commotion she could hear the surprised yell and something being dragged through the rocks. She popped her head up in time to see Juliet being dragged down and the chains clattered behind her. She jumped up and grabbed onto the chains. The metal dug into her hands. It wasn't just body weight, she was being pulled down.

"C'mon!" She tried to get a better grasp on the chains but then she started to slide around in the rocks.

"Sawyer!" No response. He'd just been here. Where was he?

"Sawyer!" She tried again. The only response she got was a panicked yell from Juliet who was now clinging to a piece of metal to keep from falling all the way down.

Kate tugged on the chains again. Juliet gave a pained yell. Kate let the chains pull her forward as she lunged out and grabbed Juliet's hand just as it slipped off the metal beam. Kate let the chains fall.

"Hold on!"

"Kate, I can't" Juliet's face just about broke Kate's heart. The normally calm and collected doctor was now had terror etched in every line on her face. Blood was smeared across her forehead. There was a sinister groaning coming from above them but Kate wasn't paying attention. All her focus was on Juliet until she heard another scream.

Kate's head snapped to her left. The scream came again and she knew exactly who it was.

"Claire?!" She yelled. She could feel Juliet's hand start to slip. Kate swung her head back around.

"Hang on!"

"I can't, Kate. Let me go." Kate's vision blurred over and she could hear voices again.

"Kate!" Claire's voice seemed to come from every direction.

"Damn it, Kate run!"

"Left behind again-"

"Go back, Kate-"

"Let me go-"

"I saw Ethan!"

"You broke his heart-"

"Juliet! No!"

"Don't come back for me-"

"We were in this together-"

Kate was pulled back to focus by a loud clanking above her. Something was breaking. The whole damn thing was going to fall and take both of them with it.

"Let me go, Kate." Juliet had tears running down her face now. "Get to Claire. Help her but you have to let me go first." Her hand was sliding further down. Kate just shook her head.

"I can't just leave you." Claire screamed again. In the back of her mind the voices of memories surfaced again.

"Kate you need to leave-"

"No, Kate, please-"

"Kate get out of here!"

"Damn it Bernard knock him out!"

Tears sprang up in her eyes. Juliet's own eyes stared back at her.

"I'm sorry, Kate." Then Juliet let go.

"No!" Kate tried to grab her again but it was no use, she'd already fallen. She pulled herself back away. She looked down at her hands. Tracks of Juliet's blood lingered on her hand. The hand that hadn't been able to hold on.

Kate scrambled to her feet, she had to get to Claire. She couldn't save Juliet but Claire was still out there. She hadn't gotten more than ten feet before something blocked her path. It was wolf. It had it's head down and was limping slightly. But it was certainly not like any other wolf she'd ever seen before. It walked differently. As though it was perfectly comfortable walking on two legs as well as the four it was on now. It was thin but muscular and it was taller than Kate, even on all fours. The goldish fur was shaggy and matted down in places with blood.

It should have been one of the most intimidating things Kate had ever seen. She glanced down at it's bloodied leg and noticed the razor sharp claws extended from it's paws. Instead of fear she just felt confused and oddly comforted. Then it raised it's head and she looked it right in it's bright blue eyes.

"Kate, wake up!" Kate's eyes shot open. Her eyes strained to adjust to the darkness but she could just make out a silhouette kneeling in front of her. She could feel her hair unpleasantly stuck to her neck and forehead with sweat. Her back ached from how she'd been sleeping in the armchair of Claire's room. She pulled herself upright in the chair. She ran a hand through her hair to unstick it.

Only a few hours ago Kate had been wide awake in this very room when Jack had informed them that Ethan had gotten away. Kate and Juliet had decided to stay in the room with Claire and she knew the guys were keeping an eye on the hallway as well.

"Kate?" Even though her eyes were starting to adjust she couldn't really see much of Juliet's face but she sounded worried.

"I'm fine."

"Like Hell." Kate smiled.

"It was a bad dream, that's all."

"What about?" Kate didn't answer right away. _How much should I tell her? Should I really bring up that I saw her die? Again. That I saw her fall and was helpless to do anything? The wolf?_

"I...it…Sawyer didn't show up."

"What?"

"Sawyer didn't come help." _C'mon Juliet, make the connection. Figure it out. Don't make me say it._

Kate stared right at Juliet. Hoping she'd get it. She could just barely see the puzzled expression on her face. Then it turned to sadness. She got it. Juliet reached out and put her hand on Kate's knee. That small act of compassion destroyed some more of the walls Kate so carefully surrounded herself with.

"I tried. But I couldn't." Kate could still feel the heavy weight of the guilt she'd felt in the dream as well as the guilt she'd felt on the island. She had watched her let go twice. Watched her fall twice and there had been nothing she could do. She felt her eyes start to tear up. "I'm sorry."

Juliet looked down for a moment and when she looked back up she looked Kate right in the eyes.

"There's nothing you should be sorry about."

"But-"

"Nope. No buts. I let go. You and Sawyer could've been pulled in there with me. I was going to be dragged down but I didn't want you two to come with me." Kate couldn't look her in the eyes anymore. It still hurt. She done her best to pretend it didn't but it did. Every death on the island had weighed on her. But she had seen Juliet's. She hadn't seen Boone's or Shannon's or Charlie's. They had hurt but there was no shock or guilt. Nothing that ate at her when she tried to sleep at night.

"What worries me is why people dreaming about me." Kate's eyes found Juliet's again.

"People?"

"Yeah," Juliet sighed. "Shannon had a dream about me too. Well, about several people but I was in it and up until then she'd never met me."

Kate's brow furrowed.

"She saw everyone who died on the island. Even the ones she never knew."

"How?"

"I don't know. At least yours made more sense." Kate just shrugged. Juliet stood up.

"Why don't you lay down with us." Kate started to protest. "It might keep the nightmares away."

Kate was taken aback. She looked towards the large bed. Claire was still sound asleep in the middle, a nest of covers surrounding her except on the far side of the bed where Juliet had pulled them away to get out. There was plenty room for three people on the bed. Plus the chair just wasn't that comfortable.

She did as Juliet suggested, getting in on the other side of Claire. The younger woman mumbled a little and moved so that her arm was up against Kate's. It was much more comfortable and she felt did feel better. She could've sworn she saw a smirk on Juliet's face but she was quickly overtaken by sleep.

_**(Author's note: Reviews would be greatly appreciated. I'm fairly new to writing so they'd be a big help. Thanks.)**_


	8. Chapter 8 - Desmond

Desmond sat on the hallway floor with his back against the outside wall to Claire's room. His cell phone firmly held in his right hand. He flipped it open. 4:38. No new messages. He didn't know why he was expecting something from Penny. She didn't even know he was in Australia right now. He wanted to call her but he was still so frazzled from his experience he wasn't even sure if a call from him would be welcome. He couldn't remember what the last thing he'd even said to her was. Where real life ended and the drug began he couldn't tell. He snapped the phone shut again. The hall was silent. He started to pick at a snag in the carpet.

"How's Shannon?" Desmond asked his fellow guard. Sayid was sitting a few paces down the the hall and leaned against the opposite wall. He was silent for a beat before answering.

"Much better." He said with a wistful smile. "Boone's getting better too which helps her."

Desmond smiled. Everyone had been worried about those two for the past couple of days. He knew Shannon was up and roaming about but he'd heard that Jack had insisted that Boone stayed in bed for a least another day.

"They're pretty close, huh?" Desmond asked. Maybe the conversation would distract him from thoughts of Penny. He needed a distraction.

"You could say that," Sayid smiled again and then started laughing. This time Desmond felt like he was missing out on some sort of joke. _Was it something I said?_

Desmond started to ask Sayid but then the he heard the elevator move. Both men jumped to their feet. Desmond stayed by the door but Sayid made his way closer to the elevator as it continued rising to their floor. Desmond could feel his muscles tense up. He could feel the blood pumping in his veins. He was starting to get used to his new hypersensitivity to his own body, it felt good.

He watched the dial above the elevator as the visitor got closer and closer to their floor. He focused on the door. The hall seemed to be crystal clear, he could see every minute detail. He could hear Sayid's heart beating fast, like his was, in anticipation. The hairs on his arms stood on end. His fingers tapped rapidly against his thigh while Sayid stood still as a statue.

The doors opened and a man stepped out with his hands raised. His shaggy black hair hung down over his eyes. He was wearing an untucked and very wrinkled dress shirt with a loosely tied skinny tie around his neck.

"I'm not a threat," Daniel looked back and forth between the two other men, waiting to see what they would do. Desmond immediately relaxed.

"I'm not one of them but I do, uh, have a warning." It was then that Desmond noticed Daniel had a nasty black eye and seemed to be favoring one arm. The left one was shaking just with the effort to keep it raised in the air.

"What is it Daniel?" Sayid asked curiously, he too noticed Daniel's injures.

"There are hunters after you." Daniel said as he dropped his arms.

"Sorry brotha but we already know that."

"Oh, well, um. That's good. Do you know how many?" Sayid glanced meaningfully at Desmond. He walked back a few steps and lightly knocked on the door and then on the one across the hall. Juliet silently stepped out of one and Jack came from the other.

"Okay," Sayid said in a commanding tone. "Now tell us Daniel, how many are there, who are they."

"And what are they?" Jack added. Desmond could feel the tension emanating from Jack. The energy coming from him made Desmond nervous.

"Can we do this in a room? I feel a little exposed out here." Daniel said nervously. He glanced behind him towards the empty elevator.

Moments later they were all gathered in Jack's room. Daniel was sitting in an armchair. Juliet and Desmond sat on the bed while Sayid stood close to Daniel. Jack paced around the room by the doors to the balcony.

"Okay. Well, uh, everybody was put into groups which I'm sure you noticed." Juliet nodded. Her eyes scanned over Daniel like she was looking over a patient. The lighting in the room made him look even more ragged than the lights of the hallway.

"Everyone experienced the same hallucination but the pills were a little different to see how different the, uh, side effects would be." Daniel eyes roamed the room from person to person.

"Some people have had no adverse after effects. That would be like me, Sun, Jin and Hurley." He paused. "Then there's you guys. From what Juliet told me on the phone you guys have had heightened physical abilities and severe sickness when you're separated for long periods of time."

"You called him!?" Jack demanded.

"I needed some outside help to figure out what was going on." Juliet replied calmly without looking back at Jack.

"What about the other group?" Sayid interrupted before a fight could break out. Daniel suddenly looked sad.

"They've formed a, um, gang, I guess. Call themselves hunters." He started playing with a loose thread on the chair's arm.

"When they're by themselves they're fine." He insisted. His eyes pleading them to believe that last statement. "But when they're all together it's like they don't know who they are anymore."

"That's what happened to Charlotte isn't it?" Juliet asked softly. Daniel nodded, his pained eyes keeping contact with Juliet's before they turned to the ground.

Desmond felt sorry for the man. If it had been Penny that was that way, he would've been devastated. Penny, who for all he knew could still be pissed with him right now. She'd probably rip him to shreds the moment she saw him. Her not knowing him, not caring that it was him she was killing would be awful.

"They're extremely strong," Daniel started talking again like nothing had happened. "Extremely determined and they're eyes turn black when they're in that state of mind."

"But other than that I haven't been able to discover more traits. They didn't exactly like my prying. Very suspicious. John Locke tried to throw me through a wall." _That explains why he looks so beat up _Desmond though.

"Locke?!" Jack exclaimed.

"What do you mean tried?" Sayid asked more calmly.

"Charlotte sort of cushioned the blow."

"So maybe there's still hope." Juliet tried to reassure him. It was clearly written on his face that he didn't believe it.

"So beside Locke and Charlotte, who else should we look out for?" Jack asked.

"Um," Daniel looked off to his side, deep in thought. "Miles, a hispanic woman, a man named Ryan, Keamy, Kevin or I guess that wasn't really his name was it? Somebody named Scott. There were a bunch of others but I didn't catch the names."

"Locke's their leader?" Jack had finally stopped pacing and was now fully interrogating Daniel. Daniel straightened his tie out in a nervous habit. Desmond could feel the tension from Jack again. It was enough to make him start tapping his fingers on his knee. Juliet grabbed his hand to force his fingers still. Oddly enough when she did that he also felt a calming sensation. The energy from Jack seemed to be blocked by Juliet's influence.

"Looked that way." Daniel muttered. Jack stomped up closer and got in Daniel's face. He grabbed him by the tie around his neck. Desmond jumped off the bed.

"Jack." He warned. He might as well have stayed quiet for all the good it did. He didn't listen to him, Jack only listened to Jack.

"If you're lying to me, again, and one of my people I will find you and I will kill you. Do you understand?" Jack sounded out of breath. His anger filled the room making the air feel thick. Daniel nodded but Jack tugged harder on the tie.

"I want you to say it." He snarled.

"I understand." Daniel said faintly with a slight tremble in his voice. Jack pulled the tie again but Daniel held strong. Desmond was impressed at his ability to not act as freaked out as he had to be. Either that or he'd been threatened so many times it was habit to act brave.

"Jack!" Juliet stood up. The tone in her voice made a shiver run down Desmond's spine. Jack let go of the tie as if it burnt him. He glared at Juliet but when his eyes met hers he looked down as if ashamed. He backed away from Daniel.

Even though he'd never admit it out loud it pleased Desmond to see Jack knocked down a peg.

"Thank you, Daniel." Juliet said with a gentleness that none of the men in the room could've managed. She gently placed a hand on his right shoulder, careful not to touch the other one. He gave her a small smile as he stood up.

Juliet gave him a quick hug and with that he left the room without another word.

Desmond breathed a sigh of relief. He watches as Juliet's face went from one of compassion to a full on glare that she turned to Jack before she left the room.

"Well that was intense, eh brotha?" Desmond said as he and Sayid took up their posts in the hall again. Sayid still looked tense.

"It certainly was." Sayid sounded distracted. He was gazing in the direction of the elevator. Desmond just stuck his hands in his pockets and waited.

"Its sounds as if hunting season has started and we're the prey." Sayid said seriously, still staring off into space.

"Not the best news I've ever gotten." It was actually probably the worst news Desmond had ever gotten.

"And it's only going to get worse."


End file.
